helpful shops and unhelpful shops!

[neilb]

hi, i was just wondering what other peoples experiences are with reptile shops, regarding how helpful the staff are, as i've had such varying experiences! i live in kent, and am quite lucky to have quite a few reptile shops close by! i've recently been after getting a cb06 jungle carpet python, and after a trawl round the various local shops, managed to locate a couple of hatchlings!

however, when i got in the shop and enquired after these snakes, it became quickly apparent that the guy couldn't give a monkeys whether he sold it to me or not!

apparently, the snake guy doesn't work sundays, so he couldn't tell me how old, when it had fed, what size prey it was eating etc etc...

this, coupled with the guys obvious disinterest caused me to walk out never to return lol! even though it seems the only shop in the south east selling what i want arrrrgggghhh!!!

sorry for long rant, and hi i'm new on here!!

neil

[Simon]

Welcome mate.

I live in Kent too and have travelled to most Reptile Shops in the county. I find that they can be a bit funny with stuff like that. if you want to know the best ones, PM me and I'll let you know my opinions on them. But I think i know what one you are talking about and I have had some run-ins too.

[fluffy]

Firstly, Hello and welcome

I have had similar experience in rep shops. One particular shop I went to, they guy I spoke with was very knowledgeable, enough to make me decide on my current snake and put a deposit down on her. Then when I went to pick her up, this particular guy wasnt there, the guy that dealt with me was as much use as a chocolate teapot. Couldnt tell me how old my snake was. He managed to let me know that she was eating medium adult mice, but couldnt tell me if she strike fed or anything.

If I'd dealt with this guy the first time I went there, I probably wouldnt have my snake, and certainly wouldnt have gone back!

Sorry you've had this bad experience....

[neilb]

thanks for replies sadly, a lot of people who work in these places are lacking in knowledge and/or common courtesy, certainly makes hard work out of reptile shopping

[fluffy]

Reptile shopping? Thats pretty general... .are you after anything in particular?

Maybe someone local(ish) can recommend a more helpful shop that stocks what you are looking for?

[DaveM]

Originally Posted by neilb

thanks for replies sadly, a lot of people who work in these places are lacking in knowledge and/or common courtesy, certainly makes hard work out of reptile shopping

There's a shop near me like that, the staff are uninterested and not very helpful and don't always listen to you, so am getting snakey from another shop where the staff are very friendly and know what they are on about, it seems pretty hit and miss whether you will find a good place sometimes, 'specially in my area.

[neilb]

lol, i say reptile shopping coz i always seem to be getting something or with someone getting something! at the moment i'm on the trail of a jungle carpet python!

[Flake1]

Lol lucky you guys have some reptile shops that are good! I brought my beardie in Charlton reptiles about 3 - 4 years ago and they knew their stuff.

But every bloody shop here that sells any reptiles... ANY ANIMALS in fact... are useless and don’t know what their on about! I went to a reptile shop in Montréal (Canada) I nearly threw up, 95% of the reptiles were covered in scares and burns. There was one particular cage (yes cage) that had about 15 water dragons in it of various size's and about 5 baby iguanas, EVERY one of them had half their snouts missing, along with about an inch of shit on the bottom of the cage.

The guy picked up corn snakes with these tweezers and griped the poor things really tight! He had all the snakes in this room, they were various snakes including odd shaped deformed pythons! And every single one of them were facing a cage that had about 4 ferrets and another cage on top of that with loads of rats in it. The room smelled like 10 dead bodies decomposing!

And the sickest thing about it all, people know about it, and it has been like that for years and years think I remember someone saying 10 years at least! And their is no protection for any of them, their is no place that has the power to close it down here!

I really appreciate a lot after seeing that... least the U.K has some kind of protection or some kind of authority to close bad places down.

Sorry about that... had to just say that as it really affected me seeing that.

Matt.

[bizz]

We have both avery good and a very bad reptile shop in our area, the good one(i'm not biased just cause the owner is a very good mate lol honest) keeps all his rep's in top condition, and puts the love and dedication into it, he wont sell to just anybody, he always asks potential owners questions about the rep theyre wanting to buy. He works very closely with the rspca/local council his knowledge is infinate and he will gladly pass it onto anyone.
On the other side of the coin the larger place near us that sell's rep's is awfull, some of the staff are knowledgable but others are of the "dont ask me i only work here" brigade, the reps arent very well fed/cleaned out and mites run riot. And dont even go there on the frozen foods side!!!

[neilb]

sounds good bizz! if only they were all like that, eh? were abouts is this shop and whats it called?